Morning is not a time.
by EliCa
Summary: In the Summer holidays, everybody is bored out of their wits. To pass the time, Harry and Ginny aquaint themsleves with the finer points of letter flirting, and then what happens face to face? Oh, and Ron has a cold. *CHAPTER THREE IS UP!*
1. Chapter One

DISCLAIMER: - Harry Potter and all associated characters, settings, and the rest of it belong to JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. They're not mine!  
  
Morning is not a time.  
  
By EliCa  
  
Chapter One  
  
"Ginny…" drawled a voice, muffled slightly by distance and large, cushioned objects.  
  
"What?" Snapped a voice in return.  
  
"Can you get me a drink please?"  
  
"I could…" Ginny said mischievously, "but I'm not going too." The voice sighed.  
  
"Don't be so immature Gin, c'mon, get your favourite brother a drink in his hour of need."  
  
"No. You're just too lazy to get one for yourself. You're as well as me. Who gets a cold in summer anyway?" The voice huffed again.  
  
"Hermione said that it was possible, thank you very much. It's a virus, that isn't necessarily related to the seasons. However, the use of central heating in muggle offices and schools," now it was Ginny's turn to sigh. She stood up quickly, and dropped her book on the floor.  
  
"Alright!" Ron smiled into the sofa.  
  
"Thank you!" He called behind her retreating form as she stomped into the kitchen.  
  
"He spends far too much time with Hermione to be healthy." Murmured Ginny under her breath. Ginny entered the deserted kitchen and filled the kettle with water and placed it on the hob. Then she walked silently up to a cupboard and pulled out an old rusty chocolate biscuit tin. Hooking her fingers right underneath the lid, and pulling as hard as she could, the lid flew open revealing a new box of teabags. She picked the one from the bottom that had spent the most time in the dust, and threw it into a mug on the sideboard. Ron was shouting from the living room for his drink, but Ginny chose to ignore his calls and feign deafness.  
  
The kettle started to rattle from side to side, and Ginny had to sprint over to it, in order to avoid the inevitable spillage which would start a chain of events so petty and common in this house that she would do most things in order to avoid them being played out.  
  
"You haven't spilt any water have you?" Shouted Molly Weasley from the garden, so accustomed was she to checking the state of her pristine kitchen after one of her imbecilic children had managed to not notice the kettle teetering and finally falling, emptying its contents all over the floor.  
  
"No Mum, it's ok." Shouted back Ginny. Molly breathed a sigh of relief and returned to pegging out the washing.  
  
Ginny breathed a sigh of relief too, glad that the kitchen protective mother wasn't on the rampage. She poured the water into the less than clean mug she was using for Ron's tea, and let the teabag brew.  
  
"Ron, do you want sugar?" She yelled to her brother.  
  
"Mmm," came the reply.  
  
"Ok then…let's see." Ginny searched through cupboards to try and find something to put in Ron's tea. The sugar lay on the surface ignored. "Salt? No, been done too many times." She pulled out box upon box, eventually reaching a box of …"Chilli powder. That will cure his cold," she said, grinning. She stood up, and poured a good portion of the hot powder into Ron's drink, took out the tea bag, stirred it, and took the mug through to Ron.  
  
"Here you go," she said sympathetically, putting the mug down on the table, next to several used and unused tissues. "Best drink it while it's hot."  
  
"Mmm," mumbled Ron.  
  
"I didn't make it for you to ignore! Drink!" She commanded.  
  
"Fine! I'll drink the tea." He sat up, grasped the handle, and gulped. "Very nice," he commented, "now can I…eurgh. What did you do to it?"  
  
Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "We'd run out of tea bags, so I asked Fred and George if they had any, and they gave me that one. Why, is it not good enough for you Ron?"  
  
"Sisters." He sneered, lying back down on the sofa. Ginny smiled triumphantly, and sat back down with the book that she had thrown on the floor earlier.  
  
Suddenly, there was an owl call from outside. Ginny got up to go and see the owl, which had stopped by Ginny's mother.  
  
"What's it got, Mum?"  
  
"A letter from Professor Dumbledore, dear."  
  
"What does it say?"  
  
"Harry can't come and stay I'm afraid. The Professor thinks that it's a very bad idea for the moment. He says that if anything changes he'll let us know immediately."  
  
"That's a pity." Ginny regretted saying those words as soon as they left her mouth. She waited for the usual songs and taunts from her brothers about her crush on Harry Potter, but none came. She smiled, she was glad that she was around to witness the calming down of The Burrow, previously thought impossible.  
  
"Yes, it is a pity. Tell Ron will you Ginny? Oh, and could you take these clothes and put them in the airing cupboard?" Ginny raised her eyebrows and sighed. Did she have to do everything about this house? However, she picked up the clothes obediently, and on the way up to the airing cupboard, passed Ron and told him the bad news. Not that he paid much attention, as he was asleep.  
  
**  
  
"Ow!" Moaned Harry Potter, hopping around his bedroom in severe pain. He had misjudged quite how hard his trunk was, and in the process of letting out his frustration, he had hurt his foot.  
  
Harry fell on his bed, and pulled off his sock to examine the damage he had done. It was bright red around his toe. The pain appeared to have subsided a bit, so Harry prodded the toe.  
  
"Ow!" He said again, so, yes, it did still hurt.  
  
He sensed movement in the house, and heard his Uncle's distinctive thud as he pulled himself up the stairs. Sure enough, the door to Harry's bedroom was soon flung open, revealing the bright red and slightly damp figure of Vernon Dursley.  
  
"I told you, you couldn't go!"  
  
"I know." Said Harry, still holding onto his foot.  
  
"And your barmy headmaster agrees, so unfortunately this year you're staying with us. So, you can start working now." Harry rolled his eyes, and started pulling on his sock again gingerly.  
  
"What do you want me to do then, Uncle?"  
  
"The lawn needs mowing."  
  
"I did that yesterday!"  
  
"Do it again!" Harry faked a smile.  
  
"I'll do my homework first Uncle. There are more important things than shaving grass." Vernon snarled, and made for Harry's ear, in an effort to control him like he did five years ago. However, Harry held onto his Uncle's arm, stopping it from going any further forward. Vernon stuttered abuse.  
  
"Now get out of my bedroom."  
  
"We put the clothes on your back boy!"  
  
"I could wear my own clothes if you want, it's not too hard. I'll just pull out my robes."  
  
"Don't you dare wear that….freak clothing!" Spluttered Uncle Vernon. There was a silence in which Harry stared at his uncle as menacingly as he could, and Vernon seemed to get an even redder shade of purple.  
  
"What are you waiting for?" Said Harry quietly. "Get out." Vernon narrowed his eyes, and turned his back on Harry, and walked out.  
  
"Cool!" Said Harry, assessing the situation. He returned to his bed to let his foot out of the restrictive sock, and to feel sorry for himself because he was stuck in this place for another three months.  
  
**  
  
Harry,  
  
Sorry you can't come and visit us, maybe I'll send Fred and George over to visit you instead! I can't come because I have a cold. Mum refuses to give me Pepper-Up potion or anything because she says it means I can't build up a resistance to colds if I take it. Hermione agrees. But then, Hermione would wouldn't she! I'm sure that there's a book somewhere that advocates the non-usage of all medicines so that poor, suffering children can 'build up a resistance'.  
  
Anyway, write soon. There's no-one here really to keep me company at the moment except Ginny and Mum, as Percy's always working, and Fred and George are spending all of their time in their room. They are all driving me insane!  
  
Ron  
  
Harry put down the parchment and sighed. He'd love to have just Ginny for company at the moment. Anything but the Dursley's who had all changed their feelings about him from plain hatred, to fear, and a touch of hatred too. It was really very annoying how all conversation (no matter how mundane) stopped whenever he walked into a room.  
  
Dudley had stopped bullying Harry too. It was a bit unnerving really, as eleven-year old Dudley wouldn't mind hurting much smaller and weedier Harry, but now had seemed to realise that Harry was becoming a force to be reckoned with. Not through physical strength, but Dudley thought that Harry could kill with a stare. That's what Vernon swore Harry was trying to do that day in his bedroom, but they couldn't get rid of him. They were being forced to keep him because of that damned Dumbledore.  
  
Harry picked up his other letters. The Hogwarts letter carried a large note about the rise of Voldemort urging extra caution at all times. Harry also noticed that there was another note saying that quidditch was, at this moment in time, going to be resumed in September.  
  
Harry had also subscribed to the Daily Prophet, taking a note from Hermione's book. He had noticed that there was virtually no mention of Voldemort's return, although there were signs that not even the most stupid wizard could miss. The obituaries column had grown from a column to a page. There had been a number of mysterious muggle killings, which traced paths through the entire United Kingdom. Of course, Cornelius Fudge had been denying Harry's 'lunatic' claims ever since he made them. Harry thought that Fudge was being mad enough by not taking any precautions, but he was keeping his eyes out for any sign of him being dragged into politics.  
  
Hermione had also written;  
  
Dear Harry (she wrote)  
  
As you know, I should be in Bulgaria right now, but my parent's decided to cut the trip short when Nana died. It wasn't unexpected really, she's been ill for ages but it's still sad.  
  
Ron's still moaning about having a cold, but he was really sympathetic about Nana. I'm sorry that you can't come to the Burrow, it must be so annoying being stuck at the Dursley's! I suppose the only time we're all going to meet up now is when we go to Diagon Alley, isn't it?  
  
I've done a bit of research on the protection the Dursley's give you ("Typical, thought Harry). Before you say anything, I haven't had much else to do! I finished all of my homework before we went to Bulgaria and I don't have much else to do before I go and stay at Ron's.  
  
He's really annoying Ginny. We've been writing this year, and she is so bored at the Burrow. With all of her brother's busy (or ill) there's nothing to do but help Mrs Weasley. She wrote to me to complain solely that she has resorted to reading Hogwarts: A History! A last resort?  
  
Write soon,  
  
Love Hermione  
  
Harry put the letter down. He had done all of his homework too. Although he hadn't resorted to such drastic measures as Ginny, he had resorted to reading Dudley's school textbooks. Not the most thrilling reading material, but 4 Privet Drive had never been full of books. The most challenging book Harry expected Uncle Vernon to have read was called 'The Drillers' book of Drills and Drill Bits', and it lived in a bookcase, sandwiched in between volumes and volumes of...photo albums.  
  
He was bored.  
  
He had already made a calendar which told him how many days there were until he left for Hogwarts (51), and not only had he done this all with his quill and some spare parchment, but he had even decorated it with pictures from 'Fantastic Beasts and where to find them' and also a few broomsticks and snitches for good measure.  
  
Harry sat down, grateful for the opportunity to write a few letters. Of course he would reply to Ron and Hermione. He wouldn't even try writing to Sirius, as Harry knew that he was out of contact for a while doing goodness knew what. Harry considered what else he could write, when he realised that Hermione had mentioned that Ginny was at her wits end too. Ron, Hermione and Ginny it was.  
  
**  
  
Ginny was lying on her bed, looking up at the ceiling.  
  
There was a crack right in the middle , but if she closed her left eye, then her right, and carried on doing that really quickly, the crack moved from side to side!  
  
Ginny moaned.  
  
"What am I doing! I know, I'll read something." With that thought in mind, Ginny reached over to pick up 'Hogwarts: A History', but she knew that it was just too boring! Hermione had revealed all of the little twists there were in Hogwarts' history, or at least in the first couple of pages Ginny had read. But the pictures were nice, so maybe she'd look at the pictures for a while. Then, if she closed her left eye, and then her right eye really quickly, the pictures moved. But then, they moved anyway.  
  
Ginny looked out of her window and sighed wistfully. The little specks of white in the sky really were very beautiful, but that one was getting bigger, and bigger, and it was approaching her window! Ginny screamed, but then realised the rather large white speck was actually an owl. Feeling rather foolish, Ginny opened the window, and in flew a magnificent snowy owl.  
  
"Hedwig?" Asked Ginny to the owl, half expecting a reply. In a manner, there was a reply, as Hedwig held out a leg, offering a letter. Ginny shook her head. "Ron's down in the living room sleeping. You want him." Hedwig though, didn't move. Ginny approached the bird warily. Hedwig was a bit big for her liking. Then the letter caught her attention, it said 'Ginny' on the front, with an envelope decorated with quite badly drawn dragons. The attempt made her laugh though, as she detached the letter from Hedwig's leg. As soon as the letter was delivered, Hedwig flew off, with still another letter to deliver.  
  
Ginny, now alone again in her room looked at the letter. It had to have been from Harry, but why was he writing to her, and decorating the envelope? Maybe to him, dragons were the equivalent of hearts…?  
  
"No Ginny, you're getting carried away. It's a letter, not a proclamation of undying love." She said quietly to herself. But just to check if it was indeed a proclamation of affection, Ginny tore into the parchment.  
  
Hi Ginny,  
  
I heard that you were bored. As you can probably tell, I am bored too, although I have not betrayed the unspoken pact yet! Hermione said that you've started reading Hogwarts: A history. Frankly Virginia, I am disappointed in you. ("He knows my name!" thought Ginny, "and it sounds like he's flirting with me. Written flirting. That means true love…" Ginny paused, "well it could do!")  
  
Although, I am reading 'Biology for the Incredibly Dumb.' Quite interesting really, should really be titled 'Porn for the incredibly sad scientist', but that's the very boring bit.  
  
Anyway, I take it that life with Ronald the invalid isn't shaping up to be a bed of roses? It's bad enough receiving ten letters a day with blotches of snot in the top corner to prove that he really has a got a cold! Ok, I made that up to make myself laugh as the Dursley's aren't even talking to me this year. Means I've resorted to copying pictures out of school books. I know I can't draw, but there's not much else to do, considering I'm not really allowed to go out on the town. Little Whinging Discotheque closed down in the seventies I think as well…  
  
Anyhow, write back soon, I need someone sane (ie, not Mrs Ron on Mr Hermione)to talk to!  
  
Harry  
  
Ginny fell backwards on her bed with a sigh. She smiled at the crack in the wall, and winked at it, making it smile back.  
  
A/N – I'll upload the next chapter soon, half term next week and I'll be avoiding revision!  
  
Check out my story in progress Et Tu Brutae, and other stories by clicking on my profile! 


	2. Chapter Two

Morning is not a time by EliCa  
  
See first chapter for disclaimer.  
  
  
  
Ginny unattached the letter from Hedwig's leg. She and Harry had been corresponding for the past three weeks, relieving some of the stress caused by inactivity of the sort that's associated with having too much time off to do nothing. Ginny tore open the letter eagerly. There were no dragons, flobberworms, or even unicorns adorning the envelope today. It was a pity really, Ginny liked knowing that she was better at something than Harry.  
  
'Dear Gin,' the letter began.  
  
'This is only a quick letter, sorry, but I have no time! Do you, Ron, and Hermione want to meet at Diagon Alley next Monday, about nine in the morning? Write soon, as I'm moving from Privet Drive to stay with Mrs Figg for the night. The Dursley's are going to the theatre to see an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, and they said that they're going to be back too late to pick me up. So the bet is whether my clothes will smell of mothballs or cat hair by tomorrow.  
  
Write! Soon!  
  
Harry'  
  
Ginny grimaced sympathetically at the parchment in her hands. She put it down on her desk, and left her room, careful to close the door behind her. She still needed privacy, and she liked the fact that her brothers saw her room as a bit of a mystery. She knew that they didn't understand why they couldn't go in without knocking first. Well, Bill and Charlie might understand, considering they had some sense! Ginny just didn't want the danger of standing in her room, in a rather, embarassing state of undress in front of her brothers. Now she was a teenager, it just wasn't right!  
  
She turned into the living room to see Ron and Hermione sitting in the living room. Hermione had arrived last week, and was praising the fact that she didn't have to put up Ron's moaning about being ill first hand. His cold cleared up quite quickly after Ginny's cup of tea. Mysterious.  
  
'Ehem.' Said Ginny, rather obviously. Ron and Hermione looked up a bit too quickly. Ron looked fit to burst, and Hermione was looking at the floor very hard, turning slightly pink.  
  
'What?' snapped Ron.  
  
'I just got a letter from Harry, and…'  
  
'Give it here then.' Said Ron easily, holding out his hand.  
  
'It's my letter Ron. Why would I give it to you?' Hermione looked up at this news, as her flushing subsided.  
  
'Harry's writing to you?' Asked Ron curiously.  
  
'Said he was bored.' Said Ginny, shrugging her shoulders. There was a pause as Ron eyed his sister suspiciously. Hermione decided to break the tension.  
  
'So, what did Harry have to say?' Ginny broke out her reverie.  
  
'Oh! He wanted to know if we could meet him in Diagon Alley next Monday at nine in the morning.'  
  
'All of us?' Asked Ron, exasperated.  
  
'Yes.' Said Ginny, giving a strained stare to Ron, who sighed, got up and sidled to the kitchen to get a biscuit.  
  
'Harry's writing to you Ginny?' Asked Hermione, a small smile on her face. Ginny raised her eyebrow.  
  
'Yes. And I'm writing back and everything.' Both girls smiled a bit more widely. 'What's up with you and Ron then?' Ginny asked. Hermione sighed loudly and turned around to stare at the floor again.  
  
'Oh, I don't know!' She said loudly, 'I mean, he doesn't do anything for so long, and then…'  
  
'What did I just interrupt?' Ginny inquired. Hermione allowed herself a small smile again.  
  
'I think that we're an item now.'  
  
'About time! Harry and I were saying how you two should get it together! You were pussyfooting around for so long.'  
  
'Pussyfooting?' It was Ginny's turn to blush.  
  
'Well, dancing around each other.'  
  
**  
  
'Do you want a biscuit, dear?'  
  
'No thank you Mrs Figg, I'm not hungry.'  
  
'Oh, are you sure? You look like you need feeding up a bit. Petunia said that you were scrawny, but I didn't know how much!'  
  
'Thank you!' said Harry, fed up already with Mrs Figg's persistant dithering.  
  
'Have you seen Mr Fluff anywhere Harry dear? I seem to have lost him…' she called from the kitchen, where she had retired to, to fetch a biscuit for Harry.  
  
'Erm, no Mrs Figg. Which one's Mr Fluff then?' Harry regretted asking the question as soon as Mrs Figg reappeared, biscuit in hand, and gleam in her eye.  
  
'I'll show you, oh, here you go dear.' She pushed into Harry's hand a biscuit rahter forcefully, but miraculously it didn't break. Harry tried bending it, and discovered to his horror that it was rather pliable. He knew that rich tea biscuits were not meant to squash in the same way as a stress ball. He subtly put the biscuit on the coffee table and looked up at Mrs Figg who was leafing through some photographs that had obviously just arrived through the post.  
  
'Here we are!' she said loudly, hobbling back over to Harry, showing him a photograph of a bright white cat, which true to name, was incredibly fluffy. 'Isn't he a handsome cat!' She pronounced.  
  
'Very handsome.' Agreed Harry, eyeing the door out enviously.  
  
'Ooh, what's that?' Squealed Mrs Figg, staring out just behind Harry – to the window. He turned around and saw a familiar white shape in the sky. 'Looks like an owl. Aren't they nocturnal?'  
  
'Erm, yeah. Maybe it's hunting or something?' Harry was panicking, Hedwig was getting closer and closer to the window. 'Mrs Figg, could I have another biscuit please…I seem to have, misplaced my other one.' Mrs Figg grinned, and fled to the kitchen. Harry breathed again.  
  
Hedwig flew in quickly through a window that Harry opened, and deposited a letter.  
  
'Go back to the the Dursley's or the Weasley's Hedwig, better there than here. Go!' he hissed at his owl, and closed the window behind her just as Mrs Figg returned, clutching what resembled a bourban.  
  
'Who was it from dear?' She asked Harry, placing the bourban on the coffee table.  
  
'Who was what from Mrs Figg?' Said Harry, leaning over to the bourban. 'Oh, here's the rich tea!' he said unconvincingly.  
  
'The letter dear. Don't usually get owls round here unless they're delivering something!' Harry would have been spitting out the crumbs of his biscuit – if he were eating it.  
  
'De-delivering? Owls? You?' He asked incredulously. Mrs Figg laughed in something resembling horror film cackling.  
  
'Yes dear, you didn't think I was just a muggle did you?' Harry stared at her open mouthed. 'You did?' she asked, disappointed.  
  
'Well, yeah. I mean, where's all your wizarding stuff?' He asked rather incoherently.  
  
'Upstairs in the attic, well, except for my wand of course!' She grinned toothily and pulled out her wand from a pocket in her flowery dress. Harry shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. 'Anyway, who was the letter from?'  
  
'Erm, Ginny.'  
  
'Who dear, speak up!' She yelled at him, and Harry could distinctly see that if she had a wooden stick she'd be banging it on the floor right now.  
  
'Ginny Weasley.' He said much more clearly, ennunciating every syllable.  
  
'Arthur's girl?' Mrs Figg said, eying him suspiciously.  
  
'Yeah, she's a friend of mine.'  
  
'Arthur's a good man.' She commented, standing up. 'Now, do you want a cup of tea dear. You look dehydrated!' Harry smiled at Mrs Figg. Some things may change about his opinion of her, but some things never changed.  
  
**  
  
A/N – Thank you to all who reviewed the first chapter!  
  
Ehren (Ryoko de Geat) Hatten, Bucky, Maddy, sunprincess, gray frog, seekerpeeker, Sierra Jade, and Sparkle!  
  
To seekerpeeker especially, don't worry! This will not be a serious story, especially by the time I'm finished! :-)  
  
I'll update again v.soon.  
  
Love Eli xXx 


	3. Chapter Three

FOR DISCLAIMER, SEE CHAPTER ONE  
  
Morning is not a time, by EliCa  
  
Chapter Three  
  
'Oi! Ginny!' Shouted Ron up the stairs. Ginny winced and paused packing her little bag to step outside the confines of her room to yell a response.  
  
'What?'  
  
'We're going now!' Ginny's eyes widened in panic. She wasn't ready! She shouted the first thing that she could think of…  
  
'Coming!' Running back into her bedroom she picked up the first things she could see, the essentials. A hairbrush (Floo was not kind to the well coiffured head), her purse (virtaully empty, as usual), her Gringotts key (not that she ever used her account anyway), her shopping list, and the essentials for that time of the month. She checked her appearance in the mirror, attempting to hide the red blemishes on her skin with her hair. With a grimace at her failed attempts, she thundered down the stairs to the kitchen.  
  
Her mother, and Ron stood there, waiting. In Ron's case especially, very impatiently too. Ginny wanted to huff at them, but she knew that would only result in ridicule for being a typical teenager, so she flashed them a grin instead. Her mother smiled back, and checked whether she was ready.  
  
'Where's Hermione?'  
  
'Gone, dear,' said Molly, 'she left with Fred and George a second ago. They'll be waiting for us, don't worry!' Ron stepped up to the jar and put his hand in. The fire had burned up the floo powder from the others already, and so a new handful was needed.  
  
'Diagon Alley!' He shouted to the green flames, which transported him with a pleasant rush. Ron always had enjoyed travelling by floo powder. It was exciting, and gave him a little adrenalin burst every time. There were disadvantages of course, but he hadn't ever cared about the soot or the fact that after travelling he had to put up with his mother trying to sort out his appearance. His mother fussing over him was inevitable with anything he did, or so it seemed. But there was something else about floo powder he couldn't stand…but what was it?  
  
With a thump, Ron arrived. True to gangling form, he stumbled out of the fireplace, only jut avoiding not falling flat on his face because his brothers stood in his way. That was the thing he couldn't stand about floo travel. He literally couldn't stand afterwards. Always a problem.  
  
'Well done Ron.' Congratulated Fred, extracting a banana skin from package he was holding. 'An exit from the floo network worthy of Charlie.'  
  
'Huh?' Asked Ron, dazed after what was quite a long journey.  
  
'He means after Charlie's returned from the Three Broomsticks on a Friday night, after drinking…' George had appeared, and was tailing off the explanation as Ron looked on sceptiaclly.  
  
'That's actually not funny.' Said Ron. 'You've lost it. You can't tell funny jokes!' Ron had started grinning at this point, and had folded his arms cockily. George was looking at Fred, worried. Was it true? Maybe they had run out of material…but luckily for them at that very moment they saw Hermione approaching Ron, and at the same time Ron turning pinker, and pinker. Fred and George cracked identical grins. There was no way they could run out of material with the blossoming romance walking their way.  
  
'Ooph.'  
  
'Ron! OW! What are you still doing there! I could've been Mum, then you would've been in trouble! Go on, move!'  
  
'I can't! I think you broke my back you heffalump.' Ginny groaned, exsperated at her brother's slow reactions. All he ever had to do was move out of the way after travelling. He always forgot to. It was almost as assured as his falling over after getting out. Ron was truly useless at floo travel, but he didn't seem to care…hopefully, thought Ginny, she'd have knocked some sense into him this time.  
  
Ron eventually managed to haul himself up, and seconds later, the form of Molly Weasley appeared, clutching her handbag. She stepped out of the fireplace in a dignified fashion, and did a quick headcount.  
  
'Right.' She said, checking her watch, 'we'd best meet Harry now.'  
  
Ginny had written to Harry to tell him they should meet at Florian Fortesque's at nine, which he hastily agreed to. Mrs Weasley was concerned that Harry would try to get to Diagon Alley by the Underground again, and alone, but Harry had written to say that he would be dropped off by Mrs Figg, so there would be no trouble in him getting there.  
  
With the objective of meeting Harry in mind, the group set off to the ice cream parlour.  
  
**  
  
Harry himself was already there. Mrs Figg (dressed in her muggle flowery dress, but with light robes over the top) had true to word, left him at Florean Fortesques whilst she went to do some shopping, and catch up on some gossip at the Leaky Cauldron pub.  
  
He had ordered an ice cream cone (so that he could go as soon as the Weasleys and Hermione arrived), with two scoops of 'White Chocolate with Crispy Bits' (yes, that was the actual name). It was absolutely delicious, and Harry needed to eat the sugar and fat in order to keep up with his growth spurt. Or at least, Harry hoped that he was in the middle of a growth spurt. He had grown a little bit since last year (as evident by the need for more new robes), but he was getting to be almost an entire foot shorter than Ron.  
  
Thinking of Ron, Harry could see a crowd of approaching red-heads, and within their ranks somebody with large brown and unmistakeable frizzy curls. Harry tried to finish his ice-cream as quickly as he could, which resulted in a large amount of it being wasted around his mouth instead of in it. Harry had no choice but to use the complimentary napkin, which seemed to resist all things it came in contact with, and thus being completely useless. This meant that Harry had to resort to using his sleeve to wipe his mouth with.  
  
'Hello,' said Harry brightly, approaching the Weasleys, hopint that he'd managed to get the ice cream off his face.  
  
'Oh hello Harry!' shouted Mrs Weasley, in her own unique way. She bustled over to give Harry a hug. He hugged her back, getting used by now to this female greeting. However, if there was any ice cream originally on his face, it would now have transferred itself onto Mrs Weasley's clothes. Luckliy, Harry couldn't see any.  
  
'Hi Harry,' said Ron, who was holding hands with Hermione. Harry grinned at them, and looked over Ron's shoulder to see Ginny fighting with Fred. George was walking along, holding onto a package wrapped in brown paper. It must have been highly important by the way that George was holding it – almost in reverence.  
  
Ginny eventually managed to make it to the tables outside of the ice cream parlour where everybody was standing, and smiled at Harry.  
  
'Hello,' She said simply, rifling through her bag.  
  
'Hi,' said Harry back, slightly awkwardly. Mrs Weasley was talking to the rest of the group, but Harry and Ginny weren't listening, as they were too busy standing together saying nothing, and doing nothing. All they could think off was 'this is so awkward' or alternative thoughts. It was strange how they could talk so easily via owl post, but right now, it was impossible to pick up a decent conversation. It didn't help that right in the middle of these ponderings, Harry noticed everybody wandering off. Harry grabbed Ron quickly, before he disappeared with Hermione.  
  
'Where are you all going?' he asked urgently.  
  
'Weren't you listening Harry? We're all splitting up. There's too many of us to all go shopping for everything as one group!' Hermione chastised, sounding very much like her younger self.  
  
'Right. So, when are we all meeting up?' Ron looked strangely at Harry.  
  
'You must've been on another planet or something, Mum said it about twenty times! It's one o'clock at the Leaky Cauldron to get some lunch, and then home.' Harry nodded, and moved back towards the only other lone figure of the group. Ginny.  
  
'Just you and me then.' Ginny commented.  
  
'Looks like it.'  
  
'So where do you need to go?'  
  
'I need some new robes, and a bit of ink. That's about all really.' Ginny grinned. 'What?' asked Harry, a little worried about the look on his companion's face.  
  
'Only two things? That won't take us three hours Harry.'  
  
'No…so what?'  
  
'We can go shopping!' Said Ginny, almost clapping her hands with joy. Harry looked at her again cynically.  
  
'That's what we are doing.' He motioned down the street with his hand. 'Shops. We're using them. Shopping.' Ginny rolled her eyes.  
  
'I mean the muggle shops. It's been so boring this summer, right? We should do something exciting!' Harry looked at her, looked down Diagon Alley, and back at Ginny.  
  
'I need to get my robes first.' Ginny's grin, if it were possible, increased in size.  
  
**  
  
Harry and Ginny stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron. Harry had his robes and ink, and Ginny had picked up some new stationary too. Mrs Weasley was picking up all of the books, so there was nothing else to buy. Harry and Ginny had swapped some Galleons and Sickles for muggle money. In total, they had about £50, enough to buy a serious amount of junk.  
  
'So, where are we going?' Ginny asked Harry. Harry laughed.  
  
'How am I supposed to know! This is your idea!' Ginny groaned.  
  
'You were brought up with Muggles Harry, take me shopping!' Harry shook his head.  
  
'I was brought up with Muggles in Surrey. It's the most boring county in the country…'  
  
'You've told me that before!' Harry laughed,  
  
'It's true though!'  
  
'Ok, so we're going to venture only so far, and then turn back.' Ginny said.  
  
'Sounds adventurous.' Harry looked at Ginny with a straight face, but he couldn't keep it for long. The two of them burst out laughing very quickly. With that, they set off down the street, into the unknown of muggle London.  
  
**  
  
A/N Thank you so much to all of those who reviewed chapter two!  
  
Maddy  
  
Vegeta Jr  
  
Squire  
  
HarryandGinny4eva  
  
Bucky  
  
TigerLily  
  
Cygnus Crux  
  
Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out within a few days!  
  
Love Eli XxX  
  
  
  
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